Disgraced ex-Elmo puppet master Kevin Clash is hoping three lawsuits that accuse him of having sex with underage boys end up in Oscar the Grouch’s trash can.

Clash’s lawyer yesterday urged a judge to toss the suits, claiming they’re barred by a statute of limitations that gave the plaintiffs three years to file once they turned 18 — a deadline they all failed to meet.

Manhattan federal Judge John Koeltl didn’t rule after hearing arguments from both sides.

But one of the accusers, Cecil Singleton, said afterward that he wasn’t feeling optimistic.